AFTER years of trying to get her first novel published, Coventry Telegraph reporter Barbara Goulden has succeeded.

And her message to all the other would-be authors out there is: "Never give up."

Even as a professional writer Barbara, aged 61, who lives in Earlsdon, knows how difficult it is for anybody to find a publisher and how regularly good manuscripts are rejected.

She says: "It often seems as if only celebrities can ever get an agent to represent their novels to the big publishing companies and they are always wary about unknown writers."

But Barbara, who has been a journalist for more than 30 years, was determined to get her humorous novel published because she feels it has a serious underlying message about mental illness.

In September last year, Knock Knock, Who's There? went online. Now it has gone straight to paperback and is available in the bookshops.

Barbara said: "Reading about anorexic chefs and manic depressives who play Jimi Hendrix records at full blast might not be to everyone's taste. But one in four of us experiences mental illness at some time in our lives.

"And beneath the funny stories is the one about my sister Rosemary, who in real life has coped with schizophrenia for nearly 50 years and lives in a half-way house with a support worker around if she needs one."

It wasn't until Barbara learned about Arts Council-backed publishers Chipmunka that she finally found a market for the novel she went back to writing after reducing her hours at the Telegraph.

She said: "In my story I've chosen to represent the slightly potty household in which my sister lives. It's the sort of place nobody wants on their doorstep.

"As I a reporter I know all about the fear that can be caused by banner headlines about 'madmen' who randomly lash out at an innocent member of the public.

"The real truth is that in 50 years my sister has never known any schizophrenia sufferer who has harmed anybody...except themselves."

Knock Knock, Who's There? costs £10 and is available at Wesley Owen in City Arcade and Waterstones in Cathedral Lanes where events coordinator Phil Rush said: "We are delighted to be able to carry Barbara's first novel in the store as we always like to try to support local authors wherever possible."